Wilson, the 2020 runner-up completed a 10-1 first-round thrashing of Wales’ Dominic Dale but missed out on making his second maximum 147 break at the Crucible.
In the final frame, Wilson potted 11 reds and 11 blacks as he aimed to make only the 15th maximum at the Sheffield venue since it started hosting the tournament in 1977, but then missed a red as his break ended at 88.
If he made a 147, it would have been his second in successive years at the Crucible after he made one in a 10-5 first-round win over Ryan Day in 2023.
There is a prize pot of £40,000 for a 147 at this year’s main draw event, with the money to be shared if more than one player makes a maximum.
That is on top of a share of £15,000 for the highest break in the whole tournament, with that money currently destined for Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham, who made a 147 in his third qualifying round win over Andy Hicks.
Speaking about the maximum chance on BBC Two, Wilson, the 12th seed, said: “It’s no disrespect to Dom, but it’s not often you find yourself in that position where you can just have a free shot at it.
“My family – my wife and my kids – came up for this session so I thought it might be nice. They watched my last 147 at school in this tournament last year so I thought it might be nice to try to do one for them live.
“Last year I was in position until the very end with the last two reds – but this one, I was constantly fighting, and every time a ball went in the crowd got more and more excited which then got the adrenaline going, and I felt more under pressure to try to do it for the kids live.”
Wilson, who faces Selby’s conqueror Joe O’Connor next, said he stood a good chance of becoming world champion if he could maintain this form.
He said: “If I play like that it will take some performance in any round for any player to stop me.”
Source link
